Alarm for hearing aid users



g 1950 DON CARLOS WISELEY 2,517,368

ALARM FOR HEARING AID USERS Filed Oct. '7, 1949 INVENTOR. DON CARLOSWISE LEY ATTORNEY 33 ll; IO

Patented Aug. 1, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

My invention relates to a simple and effective alarm for persons whosehearing is such that they cannot hear ordinary alarms, such as thealarms of alarm clocks, and relates to an alarm for deaf persons whichuses, or may be used in conjunction with, speakers of the characterordinarily provided with electrical hearing aids.

Ordinary alarm means which are found effective for the awakening ofpersons with normal hearing, I have found inadequate for deaf persons.Therefore, the deaf person who is without someone else to awaken him, isat a real disadvantage with respect to the matter of being awakened fromslumber at desired times. It is an object of the present invention toprovide a simple alarm which may be used with the speaker of a hearingaid, this speaker being worn by a person during slumber.

It is an object of the invention to provide an alarm having a speakerwith a diaphragm element and electrical means to move the diaphragmelement, combined with an alarm clock and means controlled by the alarmclock which will produce electrical impulses in the circuit of thespeaker.

It is the further object of the invention to provide a simple alarmmechanism for use with a hearing aid speaker, this device comprisingmeans arranged to be employed with an alarm clock having an alarmcontrol or alarm mechanism, the device comprising switch contacts whichare intermittently closed by the alarm mechanism so as to produceimpulses in a circuit and to produce electrical impulses in the coil orother electro-responsive part of the hearing aid speaker.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be brought out inthe following part of the specification wherein I have describedpreferred embodiments of the invention in detail for the purpose ofpresenting a complete disclosure, without limiting the scope of theinvention defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only:

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a preferred form of the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an alternative form in which the principlesof the invention may be practiced.

In Fig. 1, I schematically show a hearing aid speaker II This speakerIt] has electro-responsive means for producing sound vibrations. As oneform of such e1ectro-responsive means I have shown in the speaker I anelectro magnetic winding or coil H and a diaphragm !2 which is moved bymagnetic flux produced when the coil H is energized. This speaker H] isworn adjacent or in the meatus of the external ear so that any soundproduced by movement of the diaphragm I2 is carried directly to theauditory organ.

The invention includes, or is used in conjunction with a clock l3 havinga time controlled alarm mechanism I4 comprising an escapement includingthe toothed wheel I5 and a pivotally supported yoke l6 disposed so as tobe reciprocated by the teeth of the wheel l5 when this wheel is rotated.An arm or lever IT projects from the yoke and is reciprocated by theyoke I 6 during the time the alarm mechanism is in operation. That is tosay, when the escapement wheel 15 is being rotated. When the alarm isinactive, or in other words when the tooth wheel I 5 is not in rotation,the lever I! is movable back and forth within a limited distance whichmay be referred to herein as the non-operating range of movement of thelever. However, when the toothed wheel is being driven, so that it willact continuously upon the yoke I6, the lever i! will swing back andforth through a greater are or range, referred to herein as theoperating range of movement of the lever H.

A switch I8 is provided consisting of spring contacts [9 and 20 and asupporting member 2| of insulating material for attaching the switch l8to a portion 22 of the clock, in such position that the lower end of thelever I! will intermittently close the contacts 19 and 20 when the leverI1 is reciprocated by rotation of the toothed wheel l5 and is thereforebeing actuated so as to reciprocate in its operating range of movementor outside its non-operating range of movement. The switch 18 ispositioned, for example, with its contact 20 adjacent the lower end ofthe lever 11. When rotation of the toothed Wheel I 5 reciprocates thelever I I the lower end thereof will strike the contact 20 andintermittently move it into engagement with the contact l9.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1, I employ a transformer 23having a primary winding 24 and a secondary winding 25. The switch 18,when actuated, opens and closes a circuit which includes the contacts I9and 20, the winding 24, a battery 26 and a variable impedance 2Tdisclosed as a rheostat. The circuit is formed by suitable conductors 28and 29, and a condenser 30 is bridged across the circuit.

The secondary winding 25 of the transformer 3 23 has the ends thereofconnected to connectors 3| and 32 to which the lead conductors 33 and 34of the speaker in are detachably connected. Each time engagement of thecontacts i9 and produces an electrical flow through the winding 29, acurrent impulse is induced in the winding and is conducted through thecoil H of the speaker i0 producing a sound impulse which, though notharsh, is of distinctive character and readily awakens the wearer of thespeaker in. The sound impulses have a frequency corresponding to therate of oscillation of the lever 11 by the toothed wheel H5. Therheostat 2'! provides a means whereby the intensity of the soundproduced in the speaker i0 may be regulated to suit the desires or needsof the user.

In Fig. 2, I show an alarm system, similar in its general character tothat which has been shown in Fig. 1, but avoiding the use of thetransformer 23. The switch It is disposed so as to be actuated by timecontrolled means such as the lever II. This switch may be connecteddirectly in series with the coil II of the hearing aid speaker ii Iclaim as my invention:

1. In an alarm means for a hearing aid speaker, said alarm means beingarranged for combination with a clock having an alarm lever andtime-controlled escapement operative to reciprocate said lever, saidlever having an operating range of movement and a non-operating range ofmovement: a switch comprising contacts and an insulated support tosecure said contacts to a portion of the structure of the clock in saidposition that said lever, moving outside its nonoperating range ofmovement, will effect open ing and closing of said contacts; a battery;a transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding; avariable impedance; a circuit including said contacts, said battery,said impedance and said primary winding in series; a condenser bridgedacross said circuit; and means for connecting said secondary winding ofsaid transformer to said hearing aid speaker.

2. In an alarm means for a hearing aid speaker, said alarm means beingarranged for combination with a clock having an alarm lever andtime-controlled drive means to reciprocate said lever: a switchcomprising contacts and an insulated support to secure said contacts toa portion of the structure of the clock in such position that saidlever, when reciprocated by said drive means, will effect opening andclosing of said contacts; a battery; a transformer having a primarywinding and a secondary winding; a circuit including said contacts, saidbattery and said primary winding in series; and means for connectingsaid secondary winding of said transformer to said hearing aid speaker.

3. In an alarm means for a hearing aid speaker, said alarm means beingarranged for combination with a clock having an alarm lever andtime-controlled escapement operative to reciprocate said lever, saidlever having an operating range of movement and a non-operating range ofmovement: a switch comprising contacts and an insulated support tosecure said contacts to a portion of the structure of the clock in suchposition that said lever, moving outside its nonoperating range ofmovement, will effect opening and closing of said contacts; meansforming a circuit comprising said contacts, a battery and a variableimpedance; and means for efiecting electrical energization of saidspeaker from current flow in said circuit. I

4. In an alarm means for a hearing aid speaker, said alarm means beingarranged for combination with a clock having an alarm lever andtime-controlled drive means to reciprocate said lever: a switchcomprising contacts and an insulated support to secure said contacts toa portion of the structure of the clock in such position that saidlever, when reciprocated by said drive means, will eifect opening andclosing of saidcontacts; means forminga circuit comprising saidcontacts, a battery; and means for effecting electrical energization ofsaid speaker from current flow of said circuit.

5. In an alarm means for a hearing aid speaker, said alarm means beingarranged for combination with a clock having an alarm lever andtime-controlled alarm actuating mechanism: a

switch comprising contacts and an insulated support to secure saidcontacts to a portion of the structure of the clock in such positionthat said alarm actuating mechanism, when in operation, will effectopening and closing of said contacts; a battery; a transformer having aprimary winding and a secondary winding; a variable impedance; a circuitincluding said contacts, said battery, said impedance and said primarywinding in series; and means for connecting said secondary winding ofsaid transformer to said hearing aid speaker.

6. In an alarm means for a hearing aid speaker, said alarm means beingarranged for combination with a clock having an alarm lever andtimecontrolled alarm actuating mechanism: a switch comprising contactand an insulated support to secure said contacts to a, portion of thestructure of the clock in such position that said alarm actuatingmechanism, when in operation, will effect opening and closing of saidcontacts; means forming a circuit comprising said contacts, a battery;and means for effecting electrical energization of said speaker fromcurrent fiow in said circuit.

'7. In an alarm means for a hearing aid speaker: a clock having an alarmlever and time-controlled escapement operative to reciprocate saidlever, said lever having an operating range of movement and anon-operating range of movement; a switch comprising contacts and aninsulated support to secure said contacts to a portion of the structureof the clock in such position that said lever, moving outside itsnon-operating range of movement, will effect opening and closing of saidcontacts; a battery; a transformer having a primary winding and asecondary winding; a variable impedance; a circuit including saidcontacts, said battery, said impedance and said primary winding inseries; a condenser bridged across said circuit; and means forconnecting said secondary winding of said transformer to said hearingaid speaker.

8.' In an alarm means for a hearing aid speaker: a clock having an alarmlever and timecontrolled alarm actuating mechanism; a switch comprisingcontacts and an insulated support to secure said contacts to a portionof the structure of the clock in such position that said alarm actuatingmechanism, when in operation, will effect opening and closing of saidcontacts; means forming a circuit comprising said contacts, a battery;and means for effecting electrical energization of said speaker fromcurrent flow in said circuit.

9. In an alarm means for a hearing aid speaker: a clock having a timecontrolled alarm mechanism; conductor means forming a circuit connectedto said hearing aid speaker; and means controlled by said alarmmechanism, when in operation, said last named means being adapted toproduce electrical impulses in said circuit to in turn produce soundimpulses in said speaker. DON CARLOS WISELEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

8 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Moser et a1 May 12, 1885 ColbyOct. 4, 1887 Waller Feb. 1, 1921 Gutteridge Mar. 19, 1946

